HINDU RENAISSANCE
PART V
UNTOUCHABILITY
PART II
SOME HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
In the earlier part, we have seen, how, UNTOUCHABILITY
existed or did not exist in ancient India. In this part, we will examine some Historical
perspectives on how India traversed through various events of History.
We must remember that ancient India basically consisted of
small villages, with small towns being the centres from which Kings ruled over small
kingdoms. Most of the sages and saints resided in deep forests away from the
Human habitations, performing their meditations, penances and Yajnas. Each
village and each town lived in self sufficiency, depending very little on
outside support.
When Dwapar Yug was in closing stages, the kingdoms were
slightly bigger and yet, largely,
village economy prevailed. Self sufficiency was the key for each human
habitation.
Some sort of local Industry existed - (i) to build King’s palaces, (ii) to make army’s
requirement of arms etc, (iii) to carve gold, silver and diamond Jewellery (iv)
to build homes, furniture, pots, vessels etc for commoners also and (v) to
weave clothes and (vi) for many other socially needed purposes.
Bath rooms were too very simple and letrines almost
non-existent – except for the very rich and the kings. Most People used to go
out into the open, to relieve themselves, till the 20th century in India. Even
today, this open relieving method prevails in many villages and small towns and
is slowly changing in both rural and urban India. We all know that.
Whatever Industry existed in the olden days, existed as
village/cottage industry, with excellence of work as the key element. Devotion
to Svadharma was widely prevalent. Almost Nobody took their own work as any
inferior to that of others, but, Sages and Munis who lived away from human
habitations were respected by all for various good reasons.
Almost no schools existed. One had to go to the Ashrams of
Sages in deep forests, to learn whatever they taught. Even Rama and Lakshmana
learnt their skills and education that way only, at the Ashram of Vasishta in
deep forests and later from Sage Viswamitra in deep forests. In Dwapar Yug
also, Bhishma went to Parasurama’s Ashram to learn. Lord Krishna went to
Sandipani’s Ashram to learn his skills
and Sastras. This was the system even
for Kings. So commoners had very little access to these skills.
Some famous Universities got
established like Taxila, Nalanda, Kasi etc through the initiatives of some
kings much, much later, possibly, some 2000-2500 years after start of Kaliyuga. Yet, formal
schools were very rare and almost absent in India. Admission to these
Universities was akin to that of a school and many Sastras were taught there
from beginning to end. For many courses, No school education was expected as
pre-requisite to aspirants. Where a student had already undergone coaching
under a Sage in an Ashram, depending on his attainments under his Guru, he was
taught from his already attained level. There might be some differences here
and there but since India consisted of hundreds of small, independent kingdoms,
Education was unorganized most of the time and conducted by willing and
intending Sages in their Ashrams in deep forests, to desirous and enthusiastic
aspirants.
The concept of formal schools and colleges with certificate
courses and degrees etc, with well defined syllabus suitable to make people fit
for clerical posts generally is a British invention and introduction for India,
to suit their governance needs. Even with these formal schools and colleges,
people went to England for higher education like Law, medicine etc, until the
declaration of Independence. These were not available in British India.
Writing instruments and writing were absent for a long time,
long time in the society. Then came, dry palmyra leaves, clothes etc as writing
instruments, which continued upto 19th century almost. Valmiki wrote
Ramayana in Threthaa yug, almost definitely on Dry palmyra leaves. But,
Pandavas and Kauravas of Dwapar Yug knew nothing about Ramayana characters
until Arjuna and Bhima met Hanuman in deep forests.
Knowledge of Ramayana was almost absent in Dwapar Yug –
except perhaps among a very few Sages who existed in both Yugas. What was not
available to Kings was definitely not available to commoners of any caste.
Ramayana in Book form was not therefore available to general people until the
establishment of Publishing houses in 19th- 20th century.
Thus, knowledge of Sastras and their spread was very difficult till some
publishing houses were established in 19th century. Till then,
perhaps, even the Universities at Nalanda, Kasi and Taxila must have taught
with reference to writings on Palmyra leaves, orally mostly, as copying whole
books was very difficult for each student’s use.
Proliferation of formal schools and colleges in India became
a reality only after Independence in 1947. It was gradual even then. Many
zamindars, wealthy persons and kings donated lands, constructed schools and ran
them too, for a long time, with the permission and recognition of Government,
after Independence. Gradually, government established schools in most Taluq
Head quarters and colleges in most district head quarters and so on.
Subsequently, now, education has again gone into the realm
of private initiative. From play schools for 2 years olds to Universities and
specialized institutions, all educational institutions are being established by
private individuals and corporates. Quantity has improved tremendously and
quality is improving slowly. Today’s progress in Education is certainly
incomparable to what existed in 1947. What existed in 1947 also was
incomparable to what existed (or did not exist) before the British came.
There is a significant difference between the formal British
type of Education system which is followed in British India and Independent
India and the Education system available in the Ashrams of Sages prior to that.
Almost nothing of what was taught in the Ashrams and Gurukuls and even the
famed Universities of Nalanda, Taxila and kasi is now taught in the British
Education system. Thus, a huge disconnect has come between the pre-British
education and post-British Education. Neither Vedas, Nor Sastras, nor even
simpler things like Bhagavad Gita are taught in current Education system.
Therefore, what they actually teach has become completely unknown to Independent India.
But, too many misconceptions are being created in today’s
society by comparing today’s widespread British type of education system with
the most ancient days. Such comparisons are meaningless and fallacious. No
formal education system existed at all in the ancient days. Very few people had
even the slightest inkling to learn Vedas and Sastras, even in those days, even
amongst Brahmins and Kshatriyas. Very
few had the time and willingness to go and approach the Sages in forests to
learn any of these things.
They are of course very difficult, dry and take a
life time to learn even to some extent. Their economic use in Independent India
is close to zero. Of course, they are useful to those, who seek Moksha or
liberation and to those who are interested in some of the Sastras. Huge
knowledge definitely exists in them if they are taught as sciences and Arts.
But, reverting back to them now – seems almost impossible – except for the
Vedic schools and colleges which exist at some places. It is in fact a miracle
that, even now, the Vedas , Sastras and the Bhagavad Gita exist and is taught
to some people.
In Indian culture, each caste specialized in a particular trade
and excelled in it by default. That worked well for those economies. All those
skills were useful economically in the society and hence, the society remained
interdependent and mutually self sufficient. In fact, using terms like economy
for the living conditions of those days is meaningless.
Over 5000 years have passed after
Lord Krishna and other Mahabharat characters expired. We are constructing
Indian history from books, stories, stone carvings, excavations, writings of
foreign tourists and so on. These are by no means complete or accurate.
Historians tend to fill all missing gaps, which are too many and too huge, with
their own surmises and constructions. Western Historians and west oriented
Indian Historians tend to dismiss great historical texts like Ramayana and
Mahabharat which describe historical anecdotes in great details. Likewise, they
discredit the writings of poets who wrote the histories of their kings and
kings who were their contemporaries. This was always a wrong approach. What
humans can described, stone inscriptions can never describe, though their use
is not dismissed. With so many imperfections in the writing of Indian History,
what emerges out of all these is still a great Indian History.
I, for one, strongly feel that
Lord Rama and Lord Krishna were great historical characters of their times. If
Ramayana and Mahabharat exist till today, their writers, Valmiki and Vyasa did
exist and if Valmiki and Vyasa existed, Rama and Krishna also existed. And, so
did all the grand characters of the two great Epics. If Bhagavad Gita exists
till today, Lord Krishna and Arjuna existed without an iota of doubt.
Much, much later, say 3000 years later than Lord Krishna’s
times, came the Nandas, Mouryas etc in Bihar and much later, Shivaji in
Maharashtra and many other kings in north and south who were not Brahmins or
Kshatriyas but were Vaisyas and Sudras who were well accepted by the people of the
so called Orthodox India. Chandra Gupa Mourya was supported eminently by Kautilya
and many other Brahmins and Kshatriyas of his times. Chatrapati Sivaji also
became a King in his own right, though not a Kshatriya. They were and are our rightful
heroes to this day. There were many such non-kshatriya and non-brahmin kings
all over India in all the known history, but they were accepted and well
supported by the Brahmins and Kshatriyas.
Many tribal kingdoms existed always in India, which had no
connection what so ever with any other Hindu kingdoms. There were many eminent
persons in the Hindu way of life who rose from different castes to great
eminence. There were great writers, artists, and greatly skilled craftsmen of
all classes in ancient India. India was home to the greatest forts, temples,
purest Iron pillars, huge ships, extraordinary weapons, chariots and so on. These
are well known historical facts and amply proved by solid evidences. It is
almost definite that each caste enjoyed its pride of place in the whole
society.
Now, despite all these facts, some element of caste based
untouchability might have existed at all times. But, cruelty on the basis of
caste was practically unknown in ancient, Hindu India. Hindu caste structure
never ever permitted any cruelty towards any human being, whether a Hindu or
even some one expelled from hindu society for some unacceptable and criminal
acts.
The latter presumably became outcastes and untouchables.
They lived their own lives. They were free to go anywhere else and live. There was
no society anywhere in the world which was at least to this extent humane in
treating even people expelled from their society. Cruelty in all other societies
in the world was too much towards expelled people. Untouchability existed in
India to some extent, but very little of cruelty.
Let us go back to Ramayana Days and see what Lord Rama did,
to bring justice to even an aggrieved Dog. One day, an injured dog was waiting
outside Lord Rama’s Court. After Rama finished listening to all aggrieved
people and giving his ruling, he asked Lakshmana to find out if any one
aggrieved is still waiting outside the court. Lakshmana went outside and found
this injured Dog. He asked the Dog, why are you waiting here? The Dog told its
grievance which it wanted to tell Lord Rama. Lakshmana duly escorted the aggrieved
and injured Dog to Rama’s presence.
Rama asked the Dog to narrate its Grievance. It said, for no
fault of it, a beggar by name Sarvartha Siddhi hit it on its head with a stick
and injured it. Rama asked his guards to bring Sarvartha Siddhi to his
presence. Sarvartha Siddhi admitted to his fault and said, since the Dog was
standing before him, when he was in acute hunger, he became angry and
frustrated and hit the Dog on its head. Rama now asked his minister what
punishment is justified to the Brahmin Beggar. His Ministers were perplexed at
the dispute between a hungry Brahmin beggar and the Dog.
Finally, it was
decided to ask the Dog, what the dog itself thought was a just punishment for
this Beggar. The Dog said – make him the Head priest of the big temple outside
Ayodhya. Rama accepted and made the Beggar, the head Priest of the Big Temple
outside Ayodhya. An Elephant was brought and the beggar rode on the Elephant to
join his new post in pomp and ceremony. The Ministers could not understand how
this could be a just punishment. Ram smiled and asked the Dog itself to justify
the punishment.
The Dog said – I was also a head priest of a temple in my
previous birth. I was intoxicated with
the respect and Power I possessed in the temple and here I am now suffering
ignominy as a Dog, being beaten by even beggars on the street, for no fault of
mine.
This story was narrated by Valmiki, precisely to show how
and why one should not be intoxicated with such respect and power which comes
in such posts. It also shows us some more facts. Many Brahmins from the very
beginning of the caste system, lived in poverty and beggary, instead of
hankering after power, position or wealth.
Even Lord Vishnu, when he was to seek alms from the Rakshasa
King Bali Chakravarthy, went as a Brahmin Beggar. Likewise, Lord Indra, when he
was to seek alms from the Anga King Karna, in Mahabharat, went in the disguise
of a Brahmin Beggar. The caste system
may have made the Brahmin the no.1 caste, but ordained him to live life in
Poverty and seek wisdom.
The kshatriyas put their life at stake for the society,
therefore they enjoyed the power of the state. The vaisyas could amass wealth
in trade, but could not share regal power. The sudras could do any work and
excel in it and acquire wealth thereby, but were not exposed to the rigours of
life of either the Brahmin or of the Kshatriya. The whole system was devised in
such a way that the balance of power was always maintained against any misuse.
Yes. Outcastes were treated as untouchables by the four
castes. Brahmins generally maintained some exclusivity from all castes from the
beginning to the present days, because of the 24 hour duties prescribed for
them. These are not understood or understandable for other castes that easily.
Living as Brahmin is the toughest. Given a choice, no
earthly minded person will prefer to be a Brahmin. Next toughest is that of
Kshatriya. Next, Vaisya and least tough job is of Sudra. This factual position
in Hindu caste system is least understood even within Hindu fold. Brahmin had
to live as a Beggar at least for a few years of his life, to kill the ego in
him and to understand the life of all society. He had to go round the whole of
India for this purpose. Compassion for all was supposed to be his way of life.
Kshatriya had all power, ego, wealth etc, but had the duty to risk his life to
protect all his citizens. When anybody seeks his protection against anybody
else, a Kshatriya cannot say, No. So, overall, it was a balanced society.
But, any society becomes degenerated over a period of time
and at least some people of each section start misusing their supposed power,
ignoring their responsibility. This happened in Hindu society also. The society
was bound together by the customs, rituals, traditions etc in which all
sections participated. Preparing and dragging Chariots of Gods were always a
festive occasion in every place, in every temple, as an event in which all
sections of people participated and still participate in many places.
General Education was through Harikatha sravanam in all
villages on important festival occasions. Elders in every family and in society
were respected by all and nobody was allowed to harm them. Taking care of
elders was a sacred duty of all children in all castes. Women were respected as
mothers by all. Children were cared for very well. Truth, non violence and non
humiliation of others were the paramount values in the society. Compassion and
charity were the order of the day at all times in the society.
All said, no society anywhere in the world, at any time in
the world, was ever one hundred percent perfect. Perfection is not given to any
human system, man-made or even God-made.
Change is always possible, change is always necessary and change is
always happening. If we don’t do it consciously, nature does it any way in its
own way. If we do it consciously, we can bring change painlessly and for the
better. If we don’t do it consciously, we will do it waywardly, painfully and always
for the worse.
Crimes and aberrations always take place because of human desire for things which are
not one’s own but belong to somebody else. Ravana sought to possess Rama’s
Wife. Duryodhana sought to possess Pandava’s Kingdom and humiliate their wife.
These were causes of great wars and the killing of so many people on both
sides. If such crimes happened at Kings’ levels, they must have been happening
at lower levels too.
Crimes and aberrations also take place because of “our
people vs other people” attitude. My people, my name, my caste, my religion, my
language, my town, my country and my EVERYTHING
is what I like and love more than all that belongs to other people. We
like our language. We call other languages as inferior – even without knowing
anything about them. We like our religion and within our religion, our caste.
We like other castes much less, and other religions much, much less. UNTOUCHABILITY
also arises from this weakness of people.
Some religions believe that they must necessarily
CONVERT people of all other religions
into their religion. But, after conversion, what? No God of any religion – be
it, Krishna, Jesus or Allah is known to have
prevented anybody of his religion from illness, old age or death. Many top leaders of all religions are known
to have died of big illnesses. So, where is a definite Saviour? Yet people claim, my God, my prophet is the saviour
and you convert into mine, to be saved. Crimes
also happen in every religion. Some religious heads even sanctify horrific
crimes happening in their religion.
In Hinduism, God’s most illustrious Avatars, namely, Lord
Rama and Lord Krishna, never practiced UNTOUCHABILITY of any type based on
anybody’s birth. They set great examples by their personal conduct. Most people adored them but failed to follow
their example. Later social reformers like Adi Sankaracharya and Ramanujacharya
also condemned UNTOUCHABILITY in very clear and forthright manner.
Here, I do wish to assert one fact. In Ramayana, the story
of Sambuka is there, which in my opinion, would not have been there in the
original. Valmiki wrote a Ramayana in which justice was beyond the caste
system. Rama’s friends were like Guha, a fisher man cum boat peddler, whom Rama
accepted like his own Brother Bharata. The story of Sabari is another classical
example of Rama’s compassion towards all. All the rest of Rama’s best friends
were Monkeys, Bears and Rakshasas. These were assertions by Valmiki himself.
One who narrated the incidents of Guha and Sabari would not
have told the story of Sambuka in the way it is told in present Ramayana. This
story does not at all fit with the rest of Ramayana and clearly does not belong there. It was an
injustice to Sambuka, to Rama and to Valmiki to put in this story in Ramayana.
It is definitely a story inserted by some ugly minded person later and not
Valmiki. It has no plausible connection with the main story of Ramayana. This
story deserves to be weeded out of Ramayana in all future prints at least. This
is my humble but firm opinion, which I held right from my childhood.
In any case, for bringing unity of all Hindus of today,
there is no harm in weeding out this story from Ramayana. I am sure, Valmiki
did not write this story in his original Ramayana and he will be pleased if it
is taken out of Ramayana.
A lot of water flowed down the Ganga thereafter. Kaliyuga
came. Many Hindu kings ruled and vanished. The Kshatriya class in India, as a
whole, got weakened very much, probably due to too many internecine wars and
battles. Many small kingdoms appeared in all parts of India and there was no
unity and amity among them. They fought with each other and destroyed each
others’ kingdoms often. But, in all these wars, elders, women and children were
almost never harmed. Respect for them was a uniform cultural trait across all Hindu kingdoms
in India. Kings and armies fought and the victor annexed the other’s kingdom or
made him his puppet.
That said, most wars were fought openly and with some accepted
principle of justice. So, to a large extent, the ancient culture of India
prevailed even during the wars. But, that became the biggest weakness of Indian
Kings when the Islamic Invasions happened.
When the Islamic invaders came, they came with an entirely
different culture. Their organized religion was opposed to Hindu way of
worship, its temples, its Idols, its culture, its principles of war etc. They believed
themselves to be superior as a class, to
all the Hindus, whom they considered as inferior, because of inferior religion,
inferior language, Idol worship and so on.
They came with small armies, defeated bigger armies of local kings,
plundered the whole society, took Hindu women as slaves and concubines and Hindu men of all castes as workers and
slaves. Forcible conversions into Islam became the order of the day for those
captured.
They destroyed many ancient Hindu temples and Hindu
religious scriptures. It was a mayhem for which the Hindu kings were utterly
unprepared. These were historical facts recorded by the Invading kings and
their followers themselves – and they always felt that these were the right
thing to do for them. This belief that their religion was superior and indigenous
religions were inferior continued all the time. Many Hindu married women
committed suicide instead of falling into their hands. Kings fought valiantly
and won many times. But small mistakes even after winning the wars sometimes
led to their capture and death. Some Islamic Invaders like Chenghiz Khan and Taimur,
were extremely cruel and barbaric, and their cruelty was comparable to or even
more than the later dictators of the west, like Hitler.
For the first time in Indian History, religious conversions,
mostly forced and under the power of the sword, happened on large scale. It
took quite some time for Indian Kings to rise again in various parts of India,
like Shivaji in Maharashtra and Krishna Deva Raya in Vijayanagar to challenge
the supremacy of the Islamic kings. Yet lack of Unity among Indian Kings was
always a factor which acted against them. After Shivaji, the Maratha empire
slowly crumbled. Likewise, after Krishna deva raya, the Vijayanagar empire also
slowly crumbled.
It took a long time for India to find some benevolent Mughal
kings like Akbar who were more interested in a just religious order than what
they found in the prevailing religions. The Islamic supremacy and forced
conversions in India stopped to a great extent, only when the European, Christian
Invaders came later from Europe.
When the European Invaders came, they came with superior
weapons, superior armies and superior commanders than the Islamic and the
Indian kings. They easily subjugated the Islamic and Indian Kings both and took
over the Political, military and trade power from most of them. For facility of
governance, they allowed the Indian Kings to rule as their subjugates for a
while. Later, they made them their
OFFICIALS.
They indulged much less, in forced religious conversion. They
did not take women as slaves or raped them. They did not ill treat elders and
children too unnecessarily. They were more interested in the economic
exploitation of India. They did not destroy India’s temples or mosques. They did not trample much
on the commoners except for economic exploitation.
Yes. They also considered their religion, CHRISTIANITY, as
superior to both Hinduism and Islam and built grand Churches as symbols of
their belief systems. They also built
schools, telegraph systems and roads, for facilitating their governance.
Teaching English to a few Indians became a necessity for them to govern India.
While the economic plundering was going on, India was also getting unified
under the British rule. North, South, East and West Indias all came under
British rule. Organized Education systems in the shape of schools and colleges
started coming slowly across India.
Muslims considered their religion superior to Hinduism.
Christians considered their religion as superior to both Islam and Hinduism.
Till this day, this is the way religious beliefs are holding sway on their followers.
Hindusim had its glaring weaknesses. It always stood divided
into various castes which are not unified by any church or Mosque like system,
which prevails in Islam and Christianity. Lack of Unity was always the single
most glaring weakness in Hinduism till this day. While Islam and Christianity
considered Hinduism as a whole as inferior to them, within Hinduism, all castes
started assuming superiority – inferiority complexes in relation to each other.
Castes considered as MOST INFERIOR were
considered as untouchables.
All teachings of Adi sankaracharya and
Ramanujacharya went waste on most sections of people in this respect. We will
examine the UNTOUCHABILITY and other superiority-inferiority complexes in
greater detail in next essay.
* *
* TO BE CONTINUED * * *
